My Final Flight

Previously we invited members to share memories of their first flight—and we got some great stories! One pilot told of taking a flying lesson to impress a girl, who became his wife of 50 years; another reminisced about flying as a child from Germany to the United States—a route he now flies professionally; yet another shared the inspiration her mother provided to start her journey: “Girls can do anything they want to do!”

Now we’re going in the opposite direction: We want retired pilots to share the stories of your final flight! What made it memorable? Was there a water salute? What emotions ran through you that day or in the weeks and months leading up to it? What did you think when you stepped off the plane for the final time? What’s next?

Your story can help current members prepare for the day they’ll join the ranks of the retired. Feel free to talk about the span of your career as well as the evolution of the industry you witnessed firsthand.

We'll published our favorites in future issues of Air Line Pilot and/or on ALPA's website.

E-mail submissions to Communications@alpa.org. Stories should be 300–500 words; photographs should be high resolution. By submitting your story and photograph, you give ALPA permission to use the material in the magazine, on the blog, on the website, and in other marketing or publicity avenues.